Kitchen utensil



KITCHEN UTENSIL Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

iii-aren STATES PATENT oFFicE.

VINCENT L. HUGHES, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO I. L. LINDEBL-AD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KITCHEN Application ied May 2,

rlliis invention has to do particularly with improvements in kitchen utensils. It relates particularly to improvements in utensils for mixing pastry and other similar materials, as

well. as for mixing dough generally.

rThe main object of the invention is to provide a utensil of very simple and inexpensive construction and one which will be very effective in its work and will thus serve very perfectly to 'thoroughly mix the ingredients together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a utensil of such construction that it will be practically self cleaning. In this connection, it is an object to provide a construction which will practically eliminate the presence of cracks and crevices, as well as pro]ections of such size and form as to readily catch and hold particles of the material being worked. That is to say, Yit is an object to provide a construction such that the Vsurfaces coming into contact with the material will not readily pick up portions thereof, but will very perfectly shed the saine and thus be 'iractically self cleaning.

A @ther objects are to provide a new and iinproved forni of body'meinloer for supportlug the cutting wires; and in this connection to 'provide a construction such that the operatei' will be afforded a ready and convenient `view of the operations being carried on.V A

r object in this connection is to provide a construction such that the body meinber will have a certain amount of spring .action, suiiicient in .fact to retain the cutting V wires untL xr suoli a tension that they will effectively perform their work.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from adetailed description of the saine, which consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a utensil embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows an edge view at right angles to that of 1;

Fig. 3 shows a top view corresponding to 1 and 2;

e shows a bottom view corresponding to TFig. v3;1 Y

nio', o snows of'. ...u

t a fragmentary side view of one of the lower edges of the body member UTENSIL.

1925. Serial N0. 27,350.

on enlarged scale, as compared to the previous figures, showing the slots in their open position, parallel slots being illustrated;

Fig. 6 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 5, with the exception that the cutting wire has been inserted into a slot and the open portion of the slot has been closed by riveting or otherwise; and v Fig. 7 shows a view similar to that of Fig. with the exception that it illustrates Ya modified type of construction in which the slots are cut at alternately opposite angles.

The body member itself is of U shape, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, and is designated by the numeral 8. Its lower edge port-ion 9 and 10 are of full width, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and Al, and are parallel. A handle 11 is secured directly to the upper central portion of the member 8 in any convenient manner as by means of a screw 1Q, and washer 13 (see Fig. 4).

lreferably the sides of the body member are cut back above their lower edges 9 and 10, as shown at 14 and 15 in particular, so as to give a better view ofthe material which is being worked by the cutting wires. If de-Y sired, the central upper portion 16y to which the handle 11 is connected may be of enlarged size, as compared to the recessed portions 14 and 15, such construction being illustrated.

Preferably also the curved sides of the body member 8 are each provided with one or more ribs 17, the saine being formed by pressing or otherwise, and serving to improve the stiffness and springiness of the U shaped body member.

A series of cutting wires 18 are stretched across the parallel edges 9 and 10 and are retained under suiiicient tension by reason of the stiffness and springiness of the body member S. Preferably, these wires are secured in place by weaving them back and forth within shallow slots 19 (see particularly Fig. 5) which slots are thereafter closed, as shown at 2O in Fig. 6, soas to close them and retain the wires in place. Manifestly, a singl, length of wire may be woven back and forth through the slots of the two edges 9 and 10, as best indicated in Figs: 3 and 4, the wire lying tight against the outside face of the lower edge portions 9 and 10 at the points where it passes from one notch to the next. The ends of the wire may bev woven intosuit- Lessen fable supplemental slots 2l and 22, as shown in Fig. l, which then may be also closed to lock the ends in place.

l prefer to make use ot piano wire or something similar thereto for the above purpose, since the same is or' very high tensile strength, may be easily woven into place, is of small size, and will not easily rust. y

lt will be noted that the utensil herein disclosed is of such a nature that there are er;- posed practically no projections upon which dough or similar material catch during the use of the device. Under the circumstances, the utensilinay be extremely sanitar lrem this as well as other standpoints.

The construction shown in 7 is slightly different from that ust explained in the sense that the alternating slots 23 and are termed at an angle with respect to each other, sothat whenv the wire has been drawn tightly into place it may be retained in said slots even independently of' any closingV of the slots.

While l have herein shown and described onlyvcertain embodiments or" the features et my present invention, still l do not intend to limit myseli: to the same, except as l may do so in the claims.,

' l claim: l

l. As a new article oi inanu'facture, a kitchen utensil for working dough and the like, comprising in combination a trame member oit' substantially semi-cylindrical form, having its upper central side portions cut backwardly towards its central airis to thereby establish a mid portion of reduced' Width as compared tortlie extreme edges ot the trame, and establish a resiliency therein,

a handle secured to said mid portion, and a series of transverse cutting` wires ent-ending between the tree edge portions of the traine and normally maintained under tension by the resiliency of the frame member, substantially as described.

2. As a new article ol manufacture, a kitchen utensil tor Working dough and the like, comprising in combination a substantially semi-cylindrical trame member of spring material having its upper central portion of reduced width as compared to its lower unconnected edge portions, to tl ereby improve the elasticity and resiliency of the traine, together with a series ot cutting wires extending between the lower edges of the frame and normally retained under tension by the elasticity or' the traine, and a suitable handle secured to the central portion of the trame, substantially as cescribed.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a kitchen utensil tor working' dough and the like comprising in combination a substantially semi-cylindrical frame member of spring material having its upper central side portions recessed towards each other to establish a connecting neck ot reduced width and increased elasticity, and a series ot cuttinn' wires entr-aiding` beti-.veen the free edges or the 'frame member and normally retainer ii/ler tension by the elasticity ot the frame member, the shape ofthe trame member permitting of a maximum degree of visibility of the cutting` wires and material being` worked upon, substantially as described. Y

VINCENT L. HUGHES. 

